From the time that I started reading comics regularly (which was only a couple years ago), I gravitated to a few writers whose works I simply couldn’t get enough of. These included Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and of course, the head writer (at that time) of my two favorite DC characters (Swamp Thing and Batman), Scott Snyder. From that point on, Snyder and the rest attained this almost god-like status in my mind, not necessarily in a “they can do no wrong” way, but in a “if only I could touch but the hems of their tunics” kind of thing. I’m sure many of you understand what I’m going for here.

The problem with meeting one of your heroes is that they can turn out to be the exact opposite of what you’ve built up in your head. I’ve heard it all too often, and I felt that same concern when attending New York Comic Fest in White Plains, NY, this past weekend. I got to talk to Bob Camp, one of my idols from childhood. I mean, what child of the 1990s didn’t love Ren and Stimpy? And Bob was awesome! A little scatterbrained, sure, but aren’t the greats normally as such?

Regardless, one of the highlights of the day, and possibly the entire trip, was having the opportunity to meet the great Scott Snyder, the mind behind the current run of Batman, the initial reboot of Swamp Thing, and horror masterpieces such as American Vampire and (one of my personal favorites) The Wake. The best part is, instead of getting to chat with him for just a few seconds while he signed our meager piles of comics and memorabilia, Leroy and I actually got to sit down with Scott for a couple minutes and ask him a few questions about his upcoming Image Comics’ title Wytches and about some lesser-appreciated members of Gotham’s rogues gallery.

Here’s the short audio clip of the interview, and below, you’ll find a transcription of the interview if you’d like to follow along, or if maybe audio isn’t your kind of thing.

G: First off, I know – we know you have a new comic coming out, and you probably can’t say much about it. Is there anything you can say about it though? About “Wytches?”

S: Yes, sure. I was just working on it yesterday. (chuckles) We’re going to release I think a fun teaser pretty soon, in a couple weeks. It’s just great to get to work with Jock again and Matt Hollingsworth, the colorist on “The Wake.” It’s fun for me to get to flex my muscles and try something that’s really different. I mean, for me “American Vampire” is horror, and it’s also kind of over-the-top, very muscular, kind of bombastic storytelling with high drama and high action. This is like a very creeping, nightmarish, claustrophobic horror: small, dark, really cruel. So, it’s more like – I did a book for Image a while ago called “Severed.” It’s a little bit more in that vein, but it’s just darker. It really is the darkest thing that I’ve done. To get to go to those places can be very fun sometimes. That comes out in October. I’m excited about it.

G: I’m definitely a fan of dark stuff. (chuckles)

L: You were talking to those guys earlier about Batman. I’m sure people have probably asked you, but what is one of the weirdest characters that you, from reading “Batman” as a kid, that you’d like to bring into the New 52, that either you haven’t gotten to yet or maybe you can’t because it’s kind of hokey?

S: I have this kind of “bet”, or challenge, with some of my friends, like Jeff Lemire, about bringing in Crazy Quilt. If there’s any way to bring in Crazy Quilt and make his successful, you win beer for life from all your friends. So I have this fantasy that I’ll figure out some way of doing it, but I have not yet.

L: Have you gotten to have Capullo draw up anything like that just for fun?

S: Yeah, we do sketches for fun where he likes to try different villains, but we haven’t gotten as deep cut as Condiment King or Calendar Man or Crazy Quilt, anyone that left of center.